ISLAMABAD: Lawmakers on Wednesday directed Chairman Capital Development Authority retired Lt Sohail Ashraf, who is Commissioner Islamabad to put an end to multiple additional charges given to officers in the civic body.

The direction was passed by the members of Public Accounts Committee (PAC), which met here to discuss audit briefs related to interior ministry.

“The practice of giving officers more than one additional responsibility should be discontinued and permanent arrangements made for vacant positions,” said chairperson Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Shahida Begum, who also quipped that Lt Sohail Ashraf also held the additional charge of CDA.

The CDA chairman, however, cautioned that immediately withdrawing additional charges could disrupt the authority’s functioning.

“If I am directed to end additional charges this evening, the institution will come to a standstill,” he told the committee, seeking five months to resolve the matter.

Naveed Qamar rejected the proposed timeline, saying five months was too long and asked the CDA chairman to address the issue within two months.

Senator Saleem Mandviwalla launched a strong criticism of the CDA, alleging that the authority had been captured by an internal “mafia” that prevented the chairman from taking effective action.

“The CDA chairman is helpless. Officers fall victims to the mafia within the civic authority,” he said.

He said the chairman was unable to function independently because of resistance within the organisation and argued that the PAC should closely monitor the CDA if meaningful reforms were to be achieved.

However, committee member Tariq Fazal Chaudhry called for CDA officers to perform the authority’s responsibilities rather than relying on officers brought in from outside.

The committee directed the CDA chairman to take steps to streamline the system of additional charges and improve administrative accountability.

On the separate issue of passport officials overstaying at foreign missions, the committee also examined an audit objection concerning more than 46 officials who had continued working at Pakistani missions abroad despite completion of their prescribed tenure.

According to the audit objection, officials posted in United Arab Emirates, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Britain, Washington, Denmark, Germany, Thailand, Spain, France and Canada, to mention some important stations, were initially assigned for three years, however, some had not yet been repatriated after completing their tenure.

Interior secretary told the committee that a new policy had been introduced while the officials concerned were still serving under the previous policy.

The explanation drew a sharp response from the committee, which termed it unsatisfactory.

Naveed Qamar questioned why officials were being allowed to remain abroad after completion of the three-year tenure if the policy clearly prescribed a fixed period. He also said the issue of salaries and other benefits received by the officials after expiry of their tenure would have to be addressed.

Former foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar questioned the distinction between the old and new policies, saying the officials’ tenure had already expired and they should have been recalled.

She called for a serious examination of the matter and criticised the way the issue had been handled.

Director General Passports, Ch Mohammad Ali Randhawa, said the missions could not be left without staff and that officials could not simply be recalled without making alternative arrangements.

Senator Bilal Mandokhail rejected the explanation, asking whether the missions could not function with replacement officials.

The PAC chairperson directed the ministry to recall officials whose tenure had expired and make fresh appointments.

Auditor General representatives also suggested recalling the officials and filling the vacancies before examining the circumstances surrounding the prolonged postings.

The PAC chairperson directed the Ministry of Interior to submit a solution within three weeks, warning that the committee would take further action on the audit objection if the ministry failed to provide a satisfactory response.

The Public Accounts Committee expressed displeasure over the absence of the NADRA chairman from a meeting convened to examine audit objections concerning the Ministry of Interior and declined to take up NADRA-related matters in his absence. The meeting was informed that the NADRA chairman had sent a letter stating that he could not attend.

Committee member Moeen Amir Pirzada suggested that a privilege motion should be moved against the NADRA chairman, while the chairperson observed that the PAC usually gave sufficient time to officials to appear before it.

Published in Dawn, August 13th, 2026